Former light heavyweight world title challenger John Scully – who has recently been in the spotlight for raising funds for retired boxers – held his latest Amateur Boxers Reunion at Diamante’s Bar on 8th Avenue on August 10.
Diamante’s, owned by ring announcer David Diamante, is one block over from the famed Madison Square Garden, otherwise known as “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Scully has made his reunions at least an annual event, though sometimes he organizes two or three gatherings within a calendar year. The first one was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2014, and earlier this year, a mingling of pugilists took place in Detroit, Michigan.
“I’ve got a guy here I fought 40 years ago, and I haven’t seen him since,” said Scully, amidst a packed house at Diamante’s. “I see guys I looked up to when I was a kid. I see guys that I sparred with. I love seeing guys see each other.”
He added, “Guys who haven’t seen each other in years, but they fought each other. When you fight a guy in a tournament, you don’t even talk to him. You just fight and that’s it, but when you see each other 25, 40 years later, it’s like you’re best friends. It’s like you’re family. People would think you know each other. It’s like, nah, I haven’t spoken to him in my life.”
A broadcast of Olympics competition was playing on multiple screens at Diamante’s, but no one was paying attention, as it wasn’t Olympic boxing.
Rather, former opponents knocked back drinks, or not, and traded memories of days past, while others caught up to men they idolized when they were starting out in boxing. In one corner of the room, former welterweight contender Michael Olajide could be seen sitting with a young man who seemed to be enjoying stories from the charismatic and still very lean former fighter who once traded leather with the legendary Thomas “Hitman” Hearns.
Others who made it to the reunion, to name a few, included former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs; former WBA middleweight champion William Joppy; former three-division world champion Iran Barkley; ex-welterweight title challenger Larry Barnes; former world champion Junior Jones; former middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo; 1970s welterweight contender Harold Weston, Jr.; former #1 lightweight contender Israel “Pito” Cardona; ex-WBO middlewieght king Lonnie Bradley; former Olympian Jerson Ravelo; popular former middleweight contender “Ireland’s” John Duddy; ex-cruiserweight champion Al “Ice” Cole; Randy Gordon, former chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission; and former welterweight champion Aaron “Superman” Davis.
Davis attended last year’s reunion and came back for more.
“It feels good to be here,” he said.
Junior Jones had similar sentiments.
“It’s great to see all these great guys from the past and the future, it’s great just to mingle with everybody,” he said.
Father-son duo Alonzo Beckett Sr. and Alonzo Beckett Jr., of the New England Video Production and Ad Agency, conducted interviews with dozens of boxers near the second-floor bar entrance to capture fight career recollections for future generations.
Former New England Golden Gloves champion Shakha Moore (1995), came to Manhattan from Norwalk to take it all in. It was his first ever John Scully Amateur Boxers Reunion.
“What I love about it is you get to reunite with old friends, and you get to see some of your old professional fighters. I saw William Joppy and Al “Ice Cole”
Milton K. Luban, who deals in boxing collectibles, had a table of pictures and gloves in a corner area that fans could purchase to get autographed. Briggs, taller than everyone at the gathering and with a personality to match his height, was one of the most sought after for signatures and photos.
Steve Nusser – who fought international competition in his amateur days, including against Russian and West German boxers, and lost in the semi-finals of 1982 Golden Gloves competition to future Olympic and world champion Mark Breland – said “it’s an honor to be here among all these legends.”
He added, “I got so much joy from watching them. They inspired me and hopefully I inspired somebody who saw me.”
Mount Vernon, New York-based Larry Barnes, who lost a welterweight title challenge to the great Felix “Tito” Trinidad in 1995, enjoys the reunions.
“It feels good being with all these guys because we don’t see each other like we used to at the fights, so when we get together it’s really special.”
Scully had reunion T-shirts available at the latest reunion and estimates he sold about $500 worth. Money raised will help fighters in need, for general expenses, and to help them attend events like the reunions and the annual Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame gala.
“I raise the money for these guys because I want them to be a part of it,” said Scully.
Former WBO middleweight champion Lonnie Bradley was enjoying his first reunion.
“This is my first with the boxers,” he said. “I’m running into all the faces that inspired me, that helped me come along in the sport, and grew up with me in this sport.”
Bradley said he wasn’t hoping to run into anyone in particular, “just that older group of fighters from back then, I would say, the mid-1980s, so these are the guys I’ve been looking forward to meeting since I turned pro.”
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